{"id":11892,"date":"2025-06-23T10:29:15","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T14:29:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/learningally.org\/?p=11892"},"modified":"2025-06-23T10:30:01","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T14:30:01","slug":"grateful-for-our-community-reflecting-on-a-year-of-literacy-success-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/learningally.org\/resource\/grateful-for-our-community-reflecting-on-a-year-of-literacy-success-stories","title":{"rendered":"Grateful for Our Community: Reflecting on a Year of Literacy Success Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Reflecting on the 2025 school year, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our incredible Community of Supporters. This year, we had the joy of coming together at the Community of Supporters Celebration<\/strong>, where we heard powerful stories from students and educators whose lives have been transformed by Learning Ally. Your support continues to make a lasting impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Students at Little Ferry Elementary School, NJ, winners of our 2025 All Star Games, say thank you to Learning Ally.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you weren\u2019t able to attend our April Thank You event, we invite you to watch the full recording and hear inspiring stories from students, educators, and parents\u2014each one a testament to the impact of our mission and the vital support of our philanthropic partners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udc49 <\/strong>Watch the full event recording<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Volunteer Nation: Driving Impact Through Service<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our volunteers bring passion and dedication to everything they do. This school year, 970 volunteers<\/strong> contributed 19,000 service hours<\/strong>. From audiobook creation and quality assurance to research, outreach, and engagement with schools, families, and states, our volunteers drive our mission, ensuring students have access to the resources they need to succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Maryfran reading to an elementary school classroom on World Read Aloud Day.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maryfran A., who has spent eight years narrating textbooks, understands the power of audiobooks and reading out loud: \u201cI know firsthand the role Learning Ally plays in a child\u2019s education. It\u2019s rewarding to be a part of this community and to know I am making a difference.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working Together to Advance Literacy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our foundation and corporate partners play a pivotal role in ensuring that literacy remains accessible to all students. Their support allows us to provide critical resources and Learning Ally\u2019s Literacy Solutions<\/a> to struggling readers and educators in 2,950 school districts across all 50 states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A key driver of our impact is Learning Ally\u2019s Student Success Programs, including year-round initiatives like the Great Reading Games<\/a>, Summer Reading Together<\/a>, and the All Star Games<\/a>. These programs are designed to support dyslexic and struggling readers by providing the motivation they need to succeed and celebrating their reading achievements with well-deserved recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the 2024-2025 school year, we held our greatest Great Reading Games yet, with more than 212,000 students participating<\/strong>, logging more than 35 million minutes of reading <\/strong>and building reading stamina, confidence, and a love of literature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With philanthropic support and in partnership with foundation partners like The Dollar General Literacy Foundation, we continue to expand access to engaging literacy opportunities for students, educators, and families nationwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In partnership with the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, Learning Ally developed the Family Literacy Toolkit to support reading at home and promote family bonding.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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With support from a foundation partner, Learning Ally hosted our Family Literacy Night at Belmar Elementary School in NJ, for both students and parents to strengthen the home-school connection and promote literacy habits outside of the classroom.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, we are proudly celebrating the 5th anniversary of our Corporate Volunteer Program Event<\/strong>, highlighting the incredible dedication and support of our corporate partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of our corporate partners include Ally, ADP, CSAA, Comcast, Western Digital, and Beckman Coulter. They have mobilized their employees to support our audiobook production, literacy, and educator programs like Share the Love<\/strong><\/a>, where volunteers create and send special valentines to educators across the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Beckman Coulter employees making valentines for educators while participating in Learning Ally\u2019s Volunteer Program, Share the Love 2025.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student Success Stories<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zahara Taylor has made remarkable strides in her academic journey, thanks in part to her access to Learning Ally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a reluctant reader, Zahara Taylor<\/strong> is now an honor roll student and literacy advocate, launching a project to promote joy in reading among Black youth in her community. \u201cThere was no joy in reading, and there should have been joy,\u201d<\/em> she shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything changed when her middle school learning specialist introduced her to Learning Ally. Motivated by her experience, Zahara launched \u201cI Love Reading\u201d<\/a>, a project encouraging Black children at Howard Middle School in DC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Zahara with culturally relevant books, including Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, which she purchased with the money she raised.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank You for Making This Possible<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Thank you to our incredible community of supporters \u2014 your dedication and generosity this year transformed the lives of countless students, empowering them to succeed in school and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to Get Involved? <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n